The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ficus benjamina. The varietal denomination of the new cultivar is xe2x80x98Eclipsexe2x80x99. The new variety was discovered as a mutation in a controlled planting of Ficus benjamina xe2x80x98Midnightxe2x80x99 in a greenhouse in s""Gravenzande, The Netherlands in January 1995.
The new variety is a naturally-occurring mutation of the Ficus variety xe2x80x98Midnightxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,856). The new variety was discovered by the inventor Jan van Geest in a greenhouse in s""Gravenzande, The Netherlands in January 1995. The new variety was first asexually propagated by vegetative cuttings in March 1995, in s""Gravenzande, The Netherlands. Asexual reproduction through succeeding generations has established that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.